Tiltable shear plate

ABSTRACT

A shear plate assembly for attachment to a dry-shaver casing wherein the shear plate co-operates with a rotating cutter member which is resiliently maintained in engagement with the shear plate, and the shear plate is suspended so as to be tiltable with respect to the casing.

United States Patent 1 3,694,915

Beusink 1 Oct. 3, 1972 [5 TILTABLE SHEAR PLATE Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz I [72] Inventor: Bernard Joseph Beusink, Clemen- Assistant Examiner G ary L' Smith tinalaan l0, Oerle, Netherlands Attorney-Frank R Tnfan 221 Filed: June 24,1970 [57] ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 49,130

A shear plate assembly for attachment to a dry-shaver casing wherein the shear plate co-operates with a [30] Foreign Application Priority Data rotating cutter member which is resiliently maintained June 26 1969 Netherlands 6909789 in engagement with the shear plate, and the shear plate is suspended so as to be tiltable with respect to 521 US. Cl ..30/32, 30/435 9 [51] Int. Cl. ..B26b 19/14 [58] Field of Search ..30/43.l, 346.51, 43.4, 43.5, 30/416, 32

[56] References Cited 10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,952,908 9/1960 Starbe 30/3465! x 6 3a 3a 2a A d 2a J 5a 50"" a 9 M --v-' PATENTEDnma m2 3.694.915

sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR. BERNARD J. BEUSINK TILTABLE SHEAR PLATE The invention relates to a shear plate holder for a casing of a dry-shaving apparatus, which holder carries at least one shear plate; this plate is provided with hair passage apertures and co-operates with a cutting member which is resiliently maintained in engagement with the shear plate and is actuated by a driving shaft.

Such a shear plate holder is known and is used in several types of dry-shaving apparatus. In some apparatus of these types, the shear plate and the shear plate holder are not clearly distinct, because the nonperforated edge parts of the shear plates actually gradually merge in shear plate holders; i.e., the said non-perforated edge parts usually are bent over downward and connected to the casing. However, there generally are two clearly distinct members, a shear plate holder and a shear plate, and during use the shear plate maintains a substantially constant position relative to the shear plate holder.

Owing to this constant position, during use there is no satisfactory adaptability of the shear plate to the various concave and convex shapes of the parts to be shaved, so that the active shaving area is reduced or, in other words, the likelihood of the hairs to be cut being guided into the hair passage apertures of the shear plate, the so-called capturing probability, is reduced.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate these disadvantages, and a shear plate holder according to the invention is characterized in that the shear plate is suspended with respect to the casing by the use of at least one pivoting axis about which the shear plate is tiltable. This pivoting arrangement enables the shear plate to follow entirely the non-planar areas of the parts to be shaved so that the capture potential can be realized.

Dry-shaving apparatus in which the shear plates are capable of taking up inclined positions relative to the driving shafts are known. These apparatus are of the aforementioned types having shear plates adapted to be depressed between stops. Since during use at excessive pressures between the shear plate and the cutter member, unacceptable frictional heat is generated, when the shear plate is partially depressed the contact pressure between the skin and the shear plate is in principle determined by the spring pressure by which the cutter member is made to engage the shear plate. Practice shows that in such dry-shaving apparatus the shear plate is generally maintained in engagement with the lower stop during use, for as a rule the user prefers a higher contact pressure between the shear plate and the skin than is permissible between the shear plate and the cutter member, in view of the aforesaid likelihood of the generation of unacceptable frictional heat.

Such a disadvantage is avoided in the apparatus according to the invention. The pivoting axis may be situated between the shear plate holder and the casing or between the shear plate holder and the shear plate; also an embodiment is possible in which pivoting axes may be provided both between the casing and the shear plate holder and between the shear plate holder and the shear plate.

An advantageous embodiment in which the shear plate holder carries two relatively spaced shear plates which each co-operates with a cutter member actuated by a driving shaft is characterized in that with the use of one pivoting axis for each shear plate, the pivoting axes which are situated between the shear plate holder and the shear plates extend parallel to one another and are at right angles to the plane containing the driving shafts of the cutter members.

In this embodiment, the shear plates may be inclined towards each other or away from each other, so that during the movement of the shaving apparatus over the face the shear plates can contact skin portions which may bulge between the shear plates.

The same efiect is obtained in an embodiment in which the shear plate holder carries three relatively spaced shear plates and which is characterized in that with the use of one pivoting axis for each shear plate, the pivoting axis situated between the shear plate holder and each of the shear plates is at right angles to that plane containing the driving shaft for the cutter member co-operating with the respective shear plate which is at right angles to the plane containing the other two driving shafts.

Another advantageous embodiment is characterized in that the pivoting axes are constituted by projecting pins with which the shear plates and the shear plate holder are provided and which are adapted to rotate in round openings formed in the shear plate holder and the casing respectively, or with which the shear plate holder and the casing are provided and which are rotatable in round openings formed in the shear plates and the shear plate holder respectively. Thus, the pivoting axes can be simply realized.

A particularly advantageous embodiment is characterized in that for each tiltable member, a pair of intersecting pivoting axes is used which form part of a curved closed tape-shaped member which is provided with two pairs of diametrically opposite pins, one pair extending outwards and the other pair inwards with respect to the closed member. The use of two pivoting axes for each tiltable member facilitates the adaptation to the shape of the part to be shaved. The use of flexible pins provides the advantage that the shear plate can be resiliently held against the skin to be shaved with increased contact pressure.

The invention will be set forth more fully with reference to a description of Figures of embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing, in which description further advantageous details will be set out, while component parts which are irrelevant to the invention have been omitted.

FIGS. 1 2 and 3 are sectional views of embodiments,

FIG. 3a is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 taken on the line Illa Illa,

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a shear plate holder which carries two shear plates,

FIG. 4a is a top plan view similar to FIG. 4, but of an embodiment with three shear plates, and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic elevations of embodiments of a component part.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a shear plate 1 gradually merges into a shear plate holder 2. In this embodiment the non-perforated downwardly bent-over edge parts of lb of the disc-shaped shear plate 1 actually constitute the shear plate holder. The shear plate holder is provided with inwardly directed pins 3 which are mounted for rotation in circular openings 4 in a casing 5, formed as a cylinder an annular ring with a longitudinal axis and an open end defining a first circumferential edge,

that is generally closed by said shear plate. The pins 3 are spaced, colinear axle means which constitute a pivoting axis about which the shear plate holder 2 is tiltable with respect to the casing this pivoting axis being generally normal to said longitudinal axis of the casing.

In the shear plate assembly embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the shear plate la and the-shear plate holder or annular ring 2a are two clearly distinct components, the shear plate holder 2a being rigidly secured to the case a. In this embodiment the shear plate la is provided with inwardly directed pins 3a adapted to rotate in circular openings6 in the shear plate holder 2a. The pins 30 constitute the pivoting axis about which the shear plate 1a is tiltable with respect to the shear plate holder 2a. Obviously, the same result is obtainable by providing the shear plate holder 2a with outwardly directed pins and the shear plate la with circular openings which cooperate with the pins.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a there are two pivoting axes one between the shear flange or circumferential edge 1b" shear plate lb and the shear plate holder or annular ring 2b and one between the shear plate holder 2b and the case 5b. The axes cross at an angle of substantially 90 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a. According to these Figures the shear plate holder 2b and the shear plate lb both are provided with inwardly directed pins 317, 3b respectively which co-operate with circular openings formed in the casing 5b and in the shear plate holder 2b, respectively. The same effect is obtained by providing the casing 5b and the shear plate holder 2b with outwardly directed pins which co-operate with circular openings formed in the shear plate holder 2b and the shear plate lb respectively. In this embodiment the shear plate 1b together with the shear plate holder 2b is arranged so as to be tiltable with respect to the casing 5b, and the shear plate lb is also tiltable with respect to the shear plate holder 2b.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the shear plate holder or annular ring 2c is provided with two shear plates which are pivotable about parallel pivoting axes which intersect the plane containing the driving shafts (not shown) at right angles. During operation of the shaving apparatus the shear plates may be inclined towards one another or away from one another. In this embodiment the shear plate holder 2c may either be tiltable about a pivoting axis with respect to the casing or it may be rigidly secured to the casing.

Further, more or less in analogy with the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, an embodiment is possible, shown in FIG. 4a in which the shear plate holder carries three mutually spaced shear plates, while the axis of rotation situated between the shear plate holder and each shear plate in respect of each shear plate is'at right angles to that plane containing the driving shaft for the cutting member co-operating with the respective shear plate which is at right angles to the plane containing the other two driving shafts. FIG. 5 shows an auxiliary member 7 which is used when for each tiltable component, a pair of intersecting pivoting axes is employed. The tape-shaped member 7 is in the shape of a closed curve.

The pivoting axes are constituted by two pairs of diametrically opposite projecting pins 8 and 9, one pair 8 being directed outwardly and the other pair 9 inwardly with respect to the member 7. The pins 8 and 9 (and the pins in FIGS. l-4a) may be flexible so that with respect to the shear plate holder the shear plate can be depressed through a small distance against spring action, as can the shear plate holder with respect to the casing, if by the use of an aforedescribed pivoting axis the shear-plate holder is tiltable with respect to the case. FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the auxiliary member 7a in which the projecting pins are constituted by two pairs of lugs 10 and 11 punched out from the body of the member 7a.

These pairs of lugs 10 and 11 can be supported by strips (not shown) which are also punched from the body of the member 7a and extend in the tape-shaped plane of the member 7a. The auxiliary member 7, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may also be flexible, so that the tiltable component is capable of performing a move ment relative to the component part which supports the tiltable component part. The pins 8 and 9 and the lugs 10 and 1 l are journalled in circular openings formed in the casing, in the shear plate holder and in the shear plate or shear plates, respectively.

I claim:

1. A shear plate assembly for pivotal attachment to an open ended cylindrical part of a shaver casing, said casing including a first circumferential edge at said open end about a central longitudinal axis of said cylindrical part, the assembly comprising a shear plate and two spaced axle means for pivotally engaging said shear plate with said first circumferential edge, the axles being co-linear along a pivot axis normal to and intersecting said longitudinal axis.

2. A shear plate assembly for pivotal attachment to a shaver casing, the casing defining a first cylindrical part with an open end having an outer circumferential edge about a central longitudinal axis of this cylindrical part, the shear plate assembly comprising a disc-shaped plate part including hair-receiving apertures therein, an outer circumferential edge, and pivot means connecting the plate part as a closure to said open end of the casing, the pivot means engaging said casing and shear plate circumferential edges along a pivot axis normal to and intersecting said longitudinal axis.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said casing first cylindrical part defines an annular ring with a second end opposite said open end, the casing further comprising a second cylindrical part having an open end, the second end of the first cylindrical part being fixedly secured to the open end of said second cylindrical part.

4. A shear plate assembly for pivotal attachment to a shaver casing, the casing defining a first cylindrical part with a first open end having a first circumferential edge about a central longitudinal axis of the cylindrical part, an annular ring pivotally engaging said first circumferential edge about a first pivot axis that traverses both the ring and said first circumferential edge and is normal to and intersecting said central axis, the shear plate assembly comprising a disc plate including hair-receiving apertures and a cylindrical flange part defining a second circumferential edge, the second circumferential edge pivotally secured to said ring about a second pivot axis that traverses said second circumferential edge and the ring and is normal to and intersects said longitudinal axis.

5. An assembly according to claim -2, wherein each pivot means comprises a pivot axle and a cooperating aperture, the axle secured to one of said engaged casing and shear plate parts, and the aperture situated in the other of said parts, and the secured axle extending into said aperture.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said pivot axles are flexible.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising at least one additional shear plate assembly which engages said casing and is spaced apart from said first shear plate assembly.

8. A shear plate assembly for attachment to a shaver casing having a central longitudinal axis, comprising,

an annular ring pivotally attached to said casing about a first pivot axis intersecting said casing axis, and a shear plate pivotally attached to said ring about a second pivot axis intersecting said casing axis and non-colinear with said first pivot axis.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said first and second pivot axes are normal to each other and each normal to said longitudinal axis.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a first axle for engaging said ring and casing about said first pivot axis, and a second axle for engaging said shear plate and ring about said second pivot axis.

REIT 4.180 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6) CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,694,915 Dated October 3, 1972 Inventot(s) BERNARD JOSEPH BEUSINK It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

After the inventor insert -Assignee: U. S. Philips Corporation-- Col. 3, line 22, delete "shear" Signed and Sealed this 15th day of May 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A shear plate assembly for pivotal attachment to an open ended cylindrical part of a shaver casing, said casing including a first circumferential edge at said open end about a central longitudinal axis of said cylindrical part, the assembly comprising a shear plate and two spaced axle means for pivotally engaging said shear plate with said first circumferential edge, the axles being co-linear along a pivot axis normal to and intersecting said longitudinal axis.
 2. A shear plate assembly for pivotal attachment to a shaver casing, the casing defining a first cylindrical part with an open end having an outer circumferential edge about a central longitudinal axis of this cylindrical part, the shear plate assembly comprising a disc-shaped plate part including hair-receiving apertures therein, an outer circumferential edge, and pivot means connecting the plate part as a closure to said open end of the casing, the pivot means engaging said casing and shear plate circumferential edges along a pivot axis normal to and intersecting said longitudinal axis.
 3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said casing first cylindrical part defines an annular ring with a second end opposite said open end, the casing further comprising a second cylindrical part having an open end, the second end of the first cylindrical part being fixedly secured to the open end of said second cylindrical part.
 4. A shear plate assembly for pivotal attachment to a shaver casing, the casing defining a first cylindrical part with a first open end having a first circumferential edge about a central longitudinal axis of the cylindrical part, an annular ring pivotally engaging said first circumferential edge about a first pivot axis that traverses both the ring and said first circumferential edge and is normal to and intersecting said central axis, the shear plate assembly comprising a disc plate including hair-receiving apertures and a cylindrical flange part defining a second circumferential edge, the second circumferential edge pivotally secured to said ring about a second pivot axis that traverses said second circumferential edge and the ring and is normal to and intersects said longitudinal axis.
 5. An assembly according to claim 2, wherein each pivot means comprises a pivot axle and a cooperating aperture, the axle secured to one of said engaged casing and shear plate parts, and the aperture situated in the other of said parts, and the secured axle extending into said aperture.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said pivot axles are flexible.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising at least one additional shear plate assembly which engages said casing and is spaced apart from said first shear plate assembly.
 8. A shear plate assembly for attachment to a shaver casing having a central longitudinal axis, comprising, an annular ring pivotally attached to said casing about a first pivot axis intersecting said casing axis, and a shear plate pivotally attached to said ring about a second pivot axis intersecting said casing axis and non-colinear with said first pivot axis.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said first and second pivot axes are normal to each other and each normal to said longitudinal axis.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a first axle for engaging said ring and casing about said first pivot axis, and a second axle for engaging said shear plate and ring about said second pivot axis. 